Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

This is a recipe from my late Grandma Garman, converted to a gluten free version. They actually turn out quite good, and while I made a batch of each GF and non-GF for my family last time I visited, they all ate the GF ones even though they didn't have to. I'd have to say that's a sign these babies are GOOOOOD. :D

Gluten Free Flour Mix:
2 cups rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch/flour

Muffin Recipe:
1/2 cup butter (I use salt-free)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour milk
1 cup mashed banana
2 cups GF flour mix
2 1/2 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
half package Hershey's Chipits Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Mix wet ingredients on low speed until blended. Stir in dry ingredients, then mix on medium speed until smooth. Fill muffin cups 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F.

I'd love to hear your feedback on this recipe!! It's an old family fave.

Proper Dog Etiquette

It's 4am and I can't sleep. I've been lying awake for hours thinking about a situation we had yesterday at Petsmart, and how I wish I could have handled it differently.

I happily took Mia shopping for a new collar and some teething toys. This wasn't her first trip to the store; she's delightfully perused the toy section with us numerous times. Upon entering the store this time, however, a small child who looked to be no more than two seemingly came out of nowhere, bounding gleefully toward Mia squealing "nice puppy!"

Mia, being a Lab and loving everyone before she even meets them, excitedly welcomed this tiny visitor. The child, not knowing any better, lunged at Mia and shoved her hands in her face to pet the nice puppy. Instinct kicked in and I pulled Mia's leash to ensure no harm came from the situation, but the child lunged again. Despite my attempts to tell the child to be careful and let Mia come to her, she continued to flail like a typical toddler, keeping Mia quite overly excited and unable to calm.

This little girl's parents didn't once call to her, come get her, or correct the situation. In fact, I didn't know where her parents were at all. When I realized this, I corrected Mia and proceeded to walk away from the girl. Recollecting now, I wish I had actively sought out her parents so I could educate them (and their daughter) on how to approach a strange dog properly.

Lucky for this little girl, she chose a friendly pup to lunge at. Had she taken those actions with another dog, the situation could have been far worse. Granted, I would hope most dog owners wouldn't bring their pooches to the store unless they were properly socialized, but this isn't always guaranteed, especially if the dog owner doesn't know how his/her dog behaves around small children.

What upsets me is that these same parents, who are nowhere to be found when their tiny tot is fan dangling around strange dogs, are the ones that sue dog owners when their dogs attack. What they fail to realize is in most cases, these dogs are acting in self defence to what they see as a threatening situation. I'm not condoning dogs who attack, don't get me wrong, but the number of dog attacks can be significantly reduced with proper education.

Dogs communicate using body language. If another animal or human lunges toward them, they can see this as a threatening behavior, and react accordingly. Just like humans, dogs need to learn trust. If your child suddenly decided to run up to me, for example, and start smacking her hands across my face to "pet" me, I certainly wouldn't like it... so why would a dog see it any differently?

Teach your children to approach strange dogs properly. NEVER assume the dog is friendly. When approaching a dog, allow him to calm before offering your hand, palm down, to sniff and explore as he wishes. This is how he gains trust. If he seems to accept you after this, gently pet him, but do not move forward. Let him come to you. NEVER pet an excited dog, even if it is a happy excitement. You are rewarding him for this behavior if you do so, and it encourages the skittish, unpredictable behavior.

It is proper etiquette to ask the dog owner permission to greet the dog before taking any action. The dog owner knows his/her dog best, and will allow the greeting if he/she trusts the dog to behave properly. In my case, it is extremely frustrating when strangers reward my dog for being overly excited, because they haven't asked my permission to greet her. I will grant permission, with ground rules that they allow me to calm my dog before she is greeted. Unfortunately, this rarely occurs. Sadly, it is mostly other dog owners taking these actions.

Using proper etiquette is not only rewarding for you and the dog, but it is also an important safety measure, especially for small children. If you are unsure on how to teach your children these techniques, consult a professional, or do not allow greetings until such time the child can learn properly.

Boston Pizza Now Has Gluten Free Pizzas!

At least here in Edmonton they do. I'm not sure if they are offering this option anywhere else. They get their crusts from Kinnickinnick, and let you build your own pizza with their ingredients. Their new menus have little asterisks next to the ingredients that are gluten free.

Last night I had a pepperoni pizza with mozza and cheddar. I was in such heaven; it was to die for.

If anyone finds out whether or not the GF pizza is available anywhere else, please comment and let me know.

Gluten Free Deli Meats

I was intrigued when I saw a commercial the other day about Maple Leaf's Natural Selections deli meats. Made with purely natural ingredients (no chemicals), these deli meats are naturally gluten free. I tried out the smoked turkey and the black forest ham, and these meats are excellent! Finally I can eat a sandwich that isn't peanut butter and jelly.

First Week with Mia

I picked up my new baby, Mia, on Thursday, May 20th. In the last five days, we have had triumphs and tribulations, but mostly triumphs. First and foremost, I am unbelievably happy with her temperament. She is so calm most of the time. She doesn't bark at strangers; in fact, she is happy to meet them and welcomes them with oodles of wet kisses. She can't control her claws, much to my dismay, so happy strangers leave with a few red scratches. I hope they understand.

So far we have had successful training sessions. She has learned Sit, Down, and is beginning to learn High-Five. I'm treat-training her, which has worked for me in the past with previous dogs, but with the training success comes a lot of poop. Oh well, I could have worse problems.

It only took one night of crate training to get her to keep quiet in her sleeping crate. She chases a small treat into the crate, and gets one more when the door is closed. She promptly lays down and relaxes. My own sleep schedule is wonky since I'm getting up at 3am to take her for a potty break, but at least she goes right back into her crate without a peep.

We've gone for numerous walks so far around the neighborhood, with frequent visits to the lake nearby. She walks on my right side quite well, almost never pulls. Sometimes, though, she decides right here is a good spot to plop her butt down and sit for a moment. I stop, smile at her and she gets up and trots onward. It's like her little way of telling me, "stop and enjoy the sounds and smells of nature, just for a moment." I love her for that.

Housetraining is relatively successful. I'm doing my part to take her out at predictable puppy potty times, but we've had a couple of accidents in the house. It's only been five days, though. Lots of time left to get it worked out.

Yesterday was my first day back to work since getting her, and it's been rough these last two days. I am getting relatively nothing done due to her constant bellowing for attention. I need her to learn she can't have me 24/7, but it's going to hurt for a while. My clients try to call me and I can't answer the phone, for all they'd hear is Mia's crying. I'm trying to keep up with them via email... even that is hard to do. Day by day I hope she calms a little more and learns to play nicely at my feet.

Even with the stressful parts, Mia is a lovely puppy. I look forward to our friendship.

Ever wonder where all those tumbleweeds go?

I think I figured it out. There is one fence between my yard and the outside of town. The tumbleweeds seem to have a meeting place right at the corner to my yard... I wonder what they talk about when they get together like this!

Is Gluten-Free Wheat on the Horizon?

I saw this article in the Edmonton Journal today, talking mainly about respiratory-type allergies. Near the bottom, however, I saw the quick notes about what's coming up in the world of allergies. It states two things are in the works for those with gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease: a pill to prevent reactions to gluten, and gluten-free wheat.

SEE THE ARTICLE HERE

Wouldn't it be wonderful to eat wheat again??